Hinge device



Mmh 11, 1969 D. KovAcs 3,431,592

HINGE DEVICE Filed Feb. 7, 1966 22 Y F 6 F 7 [NVE/WOR.

DESIDERIO KOI/ACS ATTORA/EKS.

United States Patent 5,833/ 65 U.S. Cl. 16-17 8 Int. Cl. EOSd 1/04,11/06 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates in4general to hinge construction and in particular to a new and usefulhinge formed with interengageable parts.

The present invention is an improvement over the prior art principallyin the construction of hinge with two anchor plate elements which may beinterengaged with an intermediate element to form the complete hingestructure. A feature of the construction is that the parts may beinexpensively made and that assembly may be easily effected and withoutundue assembly expense. The anchor plate elements are made of the usualflat plate construction with suitable openings for screw members foranchoring the plates to the parts to be hinged together. Theintermediate unit in accordance with the invention comprises asemi-cylindrical member having a ilat end portion with openings forreceiving projecting hinge elements with curved ends or arched shoes ofthe anchor plate members. The shoes are formed with a curvaturecomplementary to the semi-cylindrical intermediate member so that theplates may be rotated about on the intermediate member in the manner ofan ordinary hinge. The arched shoes of each anchor plate are formed inan offset manner similar to the usual hinge and they ride in theintermediate manner in a staggered relationship.

A feature of the invention is that each of the hinge parts may bemanufactured in an inexpensive manner without requiring special formingand may, for example, each be cast or molded or produced frominexpensive section irons.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedhinge construction made up of a plurality of interengageable parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge constructionwhich includes anchor plate members which are adapted to be connected tothe elements to be hinged together and which include outwardlyprojecting hinge portions, and an intermediate member ofsemi-cylindrical coniiguration having a hat end wall with openings forreceiving the projecting hinge formations which are curved for ridingagainst the curved interior wall of the intermediate hinge member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge constructionwhich is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical tomanufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated and described preferredembodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hinge constructed in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 2a is a section taken along the lines II*II of FIG. 1;

3,431,592 Patented Mar. 11, 1969 ICC FIG. 2b is a section similar toFIG. 2a but indicating the hinge parts in a closed position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the hinge anchor plates;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the intermediate hinge part;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view indicating the hinges in an operativeposition connecting two parts which are to be hinged together;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section similar to FIG. 6 of another embodiment of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied thereinas indicated in FIGS. 1 to 6 comprises a hinge construction formed oftwo anchor plate members generally designated 1 which are interengagedwith an intermediate hinge member generally designated 2.

In accordance with the invention, the anchor plate members 1 are ofsubstantially rectangular configuration having a curved outer end 1awith a straight edge portion 1b having projecting portions or brackets 4formed at irregular spacings along the edge which terminate in archedshoes or hinge curve portions 5. The anchor plates 1 are also providedwith a plurality of openings 3 for permitting the plates to be securedto a part such as a door element 20 which is to be hinged to a similardoor element 22 as shown in FIG. 6.

A feature of the invention is that the anchor plates 1 may be jointed inoperative engagement with the intermediate members 2 by inserting theprojecting portions 4 into openings 8 which are provided in a at endface 7 of the intermediate element 2. The curvature of the end portion 5is such that the projecting portions may ride within the interiorcylinder formed by the end walls.

6 of the intermediate portion 5. The projecting portions 4 on eachanchor plate 1 are offset in respect to each other and therefore theopenings 8 for receiving opposite anchor plates are similarly offset.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the parts 20 and 22 areprovided with a cut-out portion 24 before the hinge anchor plates 1 aresecured thereto by means of screws which extend through the openings 3.In order that the parts may interengage Awithout any play, theintermediate portion 2 is advantageously provided with a centralcylindrical protuberance 9 of the same curvature as the interior wallcurvature of the arched sho'es 5.

A feature of the invention is that the provision of projecting portionsor pins 10 which extend substantially perpendicularly outwardly from theside faces of the arched shoe portions 5. A pin 10 extends outwardlyfrom the outboard shoe 5 of each hinge plate in respective oppositedirection and engages against a respective side of the inside face ofthe iliat wall 7 adjacent the respective ends lthereof intermediateportion 2 in order to determine the end position of the intermediateportion 2 in this member. One pin 10 as seen in FIG. 5 therefore lbearsagainst wall 7 to prevent it from moving counterclockwise and the pin 10at the opposite end (not shown) is located to bear against the lower endof wall 7 and prevents it from rotating clockwise. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 6 the projection 10 is located so that theintermediate member 2 will be oriented with its flat wall 7substantially parallel to the edges of the parts 20 and 22 which arejoined. In the embodiment of FIG. 7 with the parts similarly `designatedbut with a prime, the projections 10' are provided so that the hingeintermediate portion 2' will be oriented at an inclination in order tosuit the particular purposes of the parts which are to be joined. InFIG. 7 embodiment, the edges 20a and 22a of the parts being joined areoffset from each other. Thus, when the hinge of FIG. 7 is opened, theaxis of the hinge will not lie along the separation line 26 of the twoparts 20' and 22.

It should be appreciated that in the case ofthe embodiment of FIGS. l to6, the projecting elements 10 are located on each of the arched portions5 at the same distance from the ends thereof. In the embodiment of FIG.7, however, one of the elements is placed very near the end of itsassociated shoe 5 and the other is located at a considerable distancefrom the end of the opposite shoe 5 to maintain the intermediate member2 in the orientation indicated in FIG. 7.

The hinge constructed in accordance with the invention is very ruggedand etiicient but it provides a pleasant and attractive appearance. Itmay be manufactured very economically, and both the intermediate unit 2and the plates 1 may be produced by means of simple operations of cutand milling from mass produced section irons. In addition, it ispossible to make an easy, safe and fast assembly of the parts. In someinstances it is preferable for some parts to be manufactured by diecasting, even using a non-metallic material. Variations in the number ofbrackets employed and the shapes ofthe interengageable parts may ofcourse be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

The elements 10 are advantageously formed as cylindrical elements whichmay be threaded into recesses or bores dened, for example, in each ofthe arched portions 5. These elements 10 =are advantageously insertedinto an appropriate bore of the arched shoes after assembly ofthe threehinge elements together.

While speciiic embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventiveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise Without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge construction comprising first and second dat plate membersadapted to have means for securing said plate members to respectiveparts to be hinged together, at least one hinge member projecting froman edge of each of said plate members and having la curved outer hingeforming end, a hollow intermediate member having a substantiallysemi-cylindrically curved Wall on one side and having a hat wall closingthe opposite side, said at Wall having at least two oiset openingsextending into the interior of said intermediate member and detined onrespective opposite sides of said iiat Wall and spaced inwardly from therespective ends of said at wall, said iiat wall having an interiorsemi-cylindrical protuberance between the openings, said hinge Aformingend of said iirst and seeond plates extending into respective ones ofthe openings in said hat :wall and having a curvature complementary tothe semi-cylindrical protuberance of said fiat wall and being rotatablethereon.

2. A hinge construction according to claim 1, including means extendinglaterally on said hinge forming end of said plates adapted to abutagainst said dat Wall for determining the angular position of said atWall of said intermediate member relative to said plates when saidplates are juxtaposed.

' 3. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said platesinclude a plurality of outer hinge forming ends projecting outwardlyfrom an edge which are offset relative to each other and relative to thehinge members deytined on the other of said first and second plates,said fiat Wall having a number of openings corresponding to the numberof said hinge forming ends.

' 4. A hinge construction according to claim 1, including a projectionformed on each of said hinge forming ends of each of said first andsecond plates engageable with said flat Wall of said intermediate memberand positioning said intermediate member substantially perpendicular tothe constant plane of said plates when said plates are juxtaposed.

5. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein each of said hingeforming ends of each of said first and second plates includes aprojecting portion which is disposed in a manner to contact saidintermediate member fiat Wall and to orient said intermediate memberoblique to the contact plane of said plates when they are juxtaposed.

6. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said openings insaid dat wall extend to said cylindrical curved Wall.

7. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein each of said tirstand second flat plate members includes two hinge 'forming endsprojecting at spaced locations from an edge thereof, the hinge formingends of said first plate being offset from the hinge forming ends ofsaid second plate, said at wall having a number of openingscorresponding to the number of said hinge forming ends.

8. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said lirst andsecond plates and said intermediate member are made of section ironmembers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,138 6/1903 Stearns 16-1912,546,590 3/1951 Ferrel 16-128 1,790,028 1 1931 Stevenson 160-232457,824 8/1891 Curtis 16-178 3,233,274 2/ 1966 Hirashiki 16-168 FOREIGNPATENTS 443,930 3 1936 Great Britain.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

DORIS L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 16-19 1

